Drive-in connector for venetian blinds



y .2, 1951 J. w. DUNN 2,554,326

DRIVE-IN CONNECTOR FOR VENETIAN BLINDS Filed Sept. 25, 1948 Patented May 22, 1951 DRIVE-IN CONNECTOR FOR VENETIAN BLINDS John W. Dunn, Alhambra, Calif., assignor to Guarantee Specialty Manufacturing Company, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation Application September 23, 1948, Serial No.'50,690

3 Claims.

This invention pertains to the art of Venetian" blinds of the type which generally comprises a slat unit, the slats of which are carried by a tilt rail or bar at the top of the unit, which tilt rail in turn is supported by a pair of brackets mounted upon the top of a window frame or the like, one of the brackets including a tilting unit which is interlocked to the tilt rail and operation of which tilting unit enables the rail to be moved pivotally about the longitudinal axis for tilting the slats from closed to more or less opened position.

My invention involves an improved connector intermediate the so-called tilt rail, and the tiltor or tilting unit of tre supporting bracket means.

It has been proposed heretofore, in respect to die cast tiltors, to utilize what is called a drivcin connector for connecting the tiltor with an adjacent end of the tilt rail or bar. These drive-in connectors are customarily made of die-cast construction, including largely a single integral body having a part to interlock with the tiltor and equipped with prong means adapted to be driven into the end of the tilt rail to anchor the connector to the latter. Prior connectors of the diecast construction have involved weakness of the connection of the prong means with the body of the connector, so that under some conditions when heavy blind units are supported the prong means breaks off, requiring replacement, the disadvantages of which procedure are self-evident.

In the carrying out of my invention I have designed my drive-in connector in such a manner that the prong means utilized are reinforced peculiarly so as to avoid the liability of breakage along the lines previously referred to. Additionally, the prong means of which I avail are formed specially so as not only to facilitate their drivein penetrating action in respect to the end of the head rail, in which they are received, but they are supplied with special anchoring projections for maintaining them in their penetratingposition against liability of displacement.

A full understanding of my improved construction of connector will be had upon reference to the following detail description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is a side elevation of a typical drive-in connector embodying the several features of improvement of my invention.

Figure 2 is a side elevation somewhat similar to Figure 1, but looking at the connector at right angles to the view shown in Figure 1.

I Figure 3 is an end view looking at the prong end of the connector.

Figure 4 is an end view looking at the end of the connector opposite that shown in Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a general perspective view of the connector of the invention.

In all of the figures of the drawings the connector is enlarged to about double the size of 2 the usual device as it is employed today in connection with Venetian blind head rails.

Referring to the drawings, and explaining the details of construction of my connector, I note that the same comprises generally a body or hub portion 1 which is made hollow at 2 from'the prong end of the connector body and closed at its opposite end as shown in dotted lines in Figure 1 at 3. The closed end 3 has the integral mounting member 4 formed therewith, which mounting member is utilized to enter the socket or opening in the worm gear which is ordinarily operated by a suitable worm and worm wheel, features of the tiltor which are in common use and well known to those versed in the art. In other words, the mounting member 4 is the means for connecting the connector of my invention to the tilt unit rotatable worm wheel.

The body I of the connector, as readily seen in the drawings, is provided at the end opposite the mounting member 4, with an enlargement in the form of an annular flange 5, the connection of which with the body I is reinforced at opposite sides of the latter by means of the triangular webs 6 integral at one end with an adjacent side of the flange 5 and integral at the inner side by being cast with the outer periphery of the round body i, with said body.

' While I have only illustrated two of the webs 6, it is to be understood. that a larger number than two may be utilized. 7

Extending longitudinally of the axis of the connector, and projecting from the outer side of the flange 5 previously referred to, are formed the integral penetrating prongs 1 which are cast somewhat of diamond form in cross section as readily seen by reference to Figure 3. In other words, the said prongs are made with opposite outwardly tapering edges and opposite inwardly tapering edges, for facilitating their penetration of the end of the head rail when they are driven into the latter by hammer or any other suitable tapping means. For holding the prongs 'l in their penetrating position, each prong is equipped with a series of projections 8 which taper in thickness and are formed .on the opposite side of the outer tapering edge section of the prongs. The taper of the projections 8 is in the direction of the point of each associated prong 1 so as to press the Wood of the head rail outwardly as the prong enters, the inner end of the projections 8 being abrupt shouldered adapted to be engaged by the yielding structure for preventing the prongs 1 being displaced from the head rail, not shown.

For reinforcing the bodies of the prongs 1 against breakage I contemplate forming each prong at its opposite side, and upon arcs parallel with the adjacent peripheral portions of the flange 5 with the webs 9, said webs being substantially broad at the point of casting junc- 3 ture 9a with the flange 5 and tapering toward the points of the adjacent prongs '1 to points about two-thirds of the point of joinder of the prongs with the flange 5 so that their free edges merge into the opposite inner vsides of the prongs according to the integrarconstruction. The tapering formation of the webs 9 facilitates their entrance into the wood oflthe head rail as the drive-in connector ofitmy invention is driven into the end of the head rail for attachment thereto. At the samentime, by reason-of the general enlarging formation of each Web '9 from its point of merging into the sideof the adjacent prong I to its -broad base cast connec- -tion'with the flange 5, affords a very considerable amount of strength in the reinforcement of the prong I for preventing the fracture of the prong 1 from the body I of the connector incident to the loading of the connector when attached to blinds that are either light or very heavy,as the requirements of use dictate. The are form of the webs 9 at the base endswhich are the ends at'the flange 5 is advantageous in that the prongs l associated with each'of the pairs of webs 9 are reinforced to the greatest extent at the point of juncture-of the prong with the flange 5 and body I. The webs 9 are much thinner than the prongs 1 in a direction radially of the axis of the body I.

The .generally round flange 5 is somewhat .greater in depth at the points where the prongs I are located at opposite sides of the opening ,2 of the body, these portions being those subjected to the greatest strains in the drive-in operation of the connector in attaching it tothe head rail. The shallower portions of the flange 5 are at diametrically opposite points of the flange and at right angles to the deeper portions where the prongs I are located, or at right angles to the plane which includes the said prongs I.

On their outer faces and at the corners where each-web 9, the adjacent prongs I, and the flange 5,- meet, I provide base reinforcing sections of somewhat rectangular'or square form designated -10, thereby to increase the rigid cast connection between the parts I and the flange '5. and

body I of'the connector, all conducive to avoiding the breakage or fracturing of the prongs 1 from the body I as heretofore found to be a difliculty incurred in conjunction with ordinary .types of cast drive-in connectors.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and .desir --to secure by Letters Patent ofthe United States-is:

1. A drive-in connector forVen'etian blinds comprising a body provided with an axial projection atone end to interengage a tilting unit,

and formed at its opposite end with a plurality of spaced prongs extending parallel with the axis of the body in planes at opposite sides of the .plane of saidprojection, each of said prongs tapering to-a point at its outer end, and webs having relatively large inner .ends integrally joined to the bodyat such ends and taperingtowardan outer point'of termination midway-of the ends of the prongssaid-webs located at op- 4 ally of the body-thantheprongs and formed of arcuate shape in crosssection on an are parallel with that of the adjacent peripheral portions of the flange, said webs tapering outwardly to the .points of termination intermediate the ends of the associated prongs, and being integral with "the prongs.

-2. A drive in -connector for Venetian blinds comprisingta body provided with an axial projection at one end to interengage a tilting unit, .and'formed at its opposite end with a plurality of spaced prongs extending parallel with the axis bf'the'body in planes at opposite sides of the plane of said projection, each of said prongs tapering to a pointat its outerend, and webs having relatively large inner ends integrally joined to the body at such-endsand tapering .to-

"ward an outer point of terminationmidwayof the ends of the prongs, said webs located at opposite sides of each prong and formed integral 'ratone edge with adjacent sidesof theassociated prong, said webs being thinner radially of the body than the prongs to which they are integrally joined, a series of projections tapering toward the outer endsof the prongs, and located at spaced intervals in integral connection with the opposite sides of the prongs outwardly of the line of edge connection of the webs with the prongs, and said prongs being tapered in cross section at opposite edges in a direction radially of theaxis of said body.

3. A drive-in connector for Venetian blinds comprising'a body provided with an axial projection at one end to interengage a tilting unit, and formed at its opposite end with a plurality of spaced prongs'extending parallel'with the axis of thebody in planes at opposite sides of the plane of said projection, each of said prongs tapering to a point at its outer end, and webs having relatively large inner ends integrally joined to the body at such ends and tapering toward an outerpoint of termination midway of the ends of the prongs, said webs located at opposite sides of each prong and formed integral at one edge with adjacent sides of the. associated prong, said webs being thinner radially 'of'fthe body than the prongs to which they are integrally joined, in which the body at its prong 'end is formed with an annular flange projecting from the body and with which the inner ends of the prongs'are integral, a series of projections tapering toward the outer endsof the prongs, and located at spaced intervals in integral connection with the opposite sides of the prongs outwardly of the line of edge connection of the webs with the prongs.

JOHN W. DUNN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

' UNITED "STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 847,888 Birdsall Mar. 19, 1907 1,114,194 Shults Oct..20, 1914 1,225,555 Achtmeyer May 8,1917 2,058,020 Jafie Oct. 20, 1936 2,058,319 Jones Oct. 20, 1936 2,128,640 Fenton Aug. 30, 1938 2,260,389 Lorentzen Oct. 28, 1941 FOREIGN IPATENTS Number Country Date 38,928 Germany Augfi 5,1886 

